Free Agent Starting Pitchers the Cardinals Could Sign This Offseason

After the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in five games to capture the franchise’s first World Series title , the MLB offseason has officially begun. Some minor trades and option decisions have already been made, with a momentous winter looming for the sport’s future. Arguably the most valuable position teams covet is controllable starting pitchers, and the St. Louis Cardinals have a solid rotation foundation . But you can never have too many starters, and in St. Louis’ case, and they could certainly use some frontline guys. Last December, the Cardinals signed Dustin May to a one-year, $12.5 million deal. He was an effective arm for the Redbirds before getting traded to Milwaukee at the deadline along with lefty reliever JoJo Romero . A low-risk, high-reward starter should be in the cards again for St. Louis, with a proven, elite-stuff arm not completely off the table. Free Agent Starting Pitchers the Cardinals Could Sign This Offseason Shane Bieber Hitting the open market again at 31, Shane Bieber ’s strong start to his career was shortly derailed by injury. The right-hander underwent Tommy John Surgery in 2024 as a Cleveland Guardian and had been traded to Toronto by the time he fully recovered. Bieber’s Blue Jays tenure was inconsistent as he continued to battle injuries. Like May, Bieber could be looking for a prove-it deal to put a full, productive season on his resume. Because of that, Bieber likely won’t have a high asking price and could contend for the Cardinals’ ace if he’s healthy. Bieber’s arsenal isn’t overpowering, making his command imperative to his success. He had a 4.37 ERA this past season, taking two steps forward and three steps back with every other outing. In his last two starts, Bieber allowed only two runs in 13 innings, but shoulder inflammation sidelined him for the season. As for most of his career and in flashes over the last two years, a healthy Bieber would lead the Cardinals’ 2027 rotation. Kris Bubic Turning his career around, Kris Bubic went from one of the worst starters in the league to a player the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired at the trade deadline . The lefty missed most of the 2022-2024 seasons with UCL issues, but put together his best big-league showing when finally healthy. In 2024, Bubic posted a 2.67 ERA in 27 games out of Kansas City’s bullpen. He returned to the rotation in 2025 and made 20 starts to the tune of a 2.55 ERA, becoming a first-time All-Star. Two separate extended IL stints since last July kept Bubic from appearing in only nine more games for the Royals, and he was shipped to Tinsel Town with the expectation he would eventually be ready to help the Dodgers in their quest for a three-peat. Bubic didn’t allow a run across his five regular-season appearances, but surrendered a run in both his playoff outings. If Bubic ramps back up to a starting role, he could bring a riding fastball and impressive secondaries to the Cardinals from the left side. Zac Gallen In what would be a reunion, Zac Gallen never actually pitched in the majors for St. Louis after being drafted by the club in 2016. He was shipped to Miami with Sandy Alcantara in the Marcell Ozuna deal before being flipped to Arizona for Jazz Chisholm Jr. , and Gallen has been a Diamondback since. Gallen’s production has deteriorated immensely over the last two seasons. 2025 was his first walk year, but Gallen logged a career-worst 4.85 ERA and returned to the desert. Things continued to fall apart this past year, as he posted a 6.04 ERA and was a negative WAR player for the first time. So this would simply be a fun flyer on a former notable prospect in the organization, hoping Gallen finds the juice that led him to a 3.29 ERA over his first six seasons. His changeup is still a plus pitch, but extracting value again from Gallen’s fastball and curveball would do wonders. The Last Word These options mainly fall in the category of pitchers seeking a bounce back season to reestablish themselves. More reliable arms are on the market, but without substantial concerns about their future production, they will command much more in free agency than the Cardinals are likely willing to hand out at this stage of their rebuild. The best part for St. Louis, specifically, is that it doesn’t need a starter. Rookie southpaw Quinn Mathews and righty Richard Fitts will likely compete for a rotation spot, with several Triple-A arms also knocking on the MLB door. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to add an experienced arm to the group, and the Cardinals could once again get surplus value from them if all goes well. Main Photo: David Frerker-Imagn Images Other MLB News and Analysis Free Agent Relievers the Cardinals Could Sign This Offseason Red Sox Trade Nate Eaton to A’s: Details and What This Means Mets, Michael King Have Unfinished Business This Offseason